Free Clothing & Apparel

There are a lot of different discount clothing stores to choose from but there are some that are better than others. There are some that are really great and others that are just really cheap when it comes to their clothing. If you are on a budget but still want to dress with style, here are some of the best discount clothing stores out there.

Wet Seal – This seems to be a staple in just about every mall around and it is a really one of those clothing stores where you can find some great tops to wear to parties, some fun blingy jewelry and a lot of great accessories. Word of warning however, this store does have both chic and cute things mixed in with tacky and awful things so make sure you know what really is trashy and what's not.

Urban Behavior – This is basically like the Wet Seal but it doesn't focus so much on the club scene as the Wet Seal does. You will find nice simple tees in a rainbow of different colors, nice preppy looking jackets, trendy denim with prices way less than places like the GAP.

GoJane – This is a great online store to buy really cheap but stylish sunglasses, knockoff designer shoes and jewelry. However, if you are looking for some great clothing you may not find the dresses and tops as cute as you would like in fact some are rather trashy looking.

TJ Maxx/Marshall's – Even though these are not the same store they are owned by the same people this is why the two are put together. These clothing stores sell brand name designer items literally for half price as you would find in other chain stores. Both stores offer brand name cloths, shoes and even some furnishings at very low prices.

DSW – This is a shoe store that has hundreds and hundreds are really great shoes that range from very low prices to more expensive prices. This store is great because it has a far larger collection of extremely cute footwear as compared to say Payless shoes.

Charlotte Russe – If you are looking for more “girly” dresses and trendy ones along with good accessories you will love Charlotte Russe. Even though it might be considered similar to both the Wet Seal and Forever 21 they are a tad different because they offer classier dresses and are a great middle of the ground budget fashion store.

Forever 21 – This store is thought of as the inventor of designer knockoffs and is one of the most popular discount clothing stores around. It offers trendy pieces and designer knockoffs. However, sometimes you may run into some trashy and even cheaply made clothes but those are few and the good quality outweighs the poor.

Vintage/Thrift Stores – That's right, vintage stores and thrift stores. These are probably the best places to find fashion treasures and even some unexpected style and at very, very low prices. Be careful of some vintage stores over thrift stores because often you will end up paying a lot more there than at the good old fashion thrift store. Just be careful when shopping at these places and don't be lured in by the cheap prices and then end up wearing a bunch of things you end up realizing you didn't want and you were just buying them because of the incredible low prices. Just take your time and only buy things you really and truly like.

Target – This is probably one of the better stores that truly sell for less with higher quality clothing available. This is one of the true discount mega stores and are far better in quality clothing than Wal Mart or Kmart. The clothes are very stylish and often they work with designers like Rogan, Erin Fetherston and Mizrahi. They also have a great International line called Go that offers dresses for just $20 but look like they cost closer to a $100.

H & M or Hennes & Mauritz – This store by many consider this to be a fashion paradise. Whether its something trendy or something that will last for years this is the store that seems to have everything a person might want from cute tops to wonderful stylish dresses as well as great bangles, scarves and shoes and all at affordable prices and top notch quality.

When it comes to buying vintage clothing there are a variety of different things that need to be taken into consideration. You need to know what kind of vintage clothing you should buy by asking yourself what it is that makes you feel good or makes your heart sing in other words what really appeals to you the most. This is very important especially if you are considering collecting vintage clothes, you really should have a focused strategy.

A vintage clothing collection will often start with a specific time period or a specific kind of clothing like sportswear, a certain designer, hats and so on. This will give you almost limitless possibilities. If the main plan is to actually wear the vintage clothing then you need to look for clothing that is going to be sturdy enough and not going to get easily damaged with average wear. Try to avoid any irreplaceable and frail items and make sure to limit yourself only to items that can be cleaned safely.

When it comes to wearing vintage clothing, size is very important. You need to make sure that what you purchase fits with some ease and isn't snug because the strain might be too much on the older textiles and you wouldn't want to end up being embarrassed out in public if something should happen. If you are buying them in person make sure to try them on and if you are buying them online make sure to look at the measurements given and compare them to your own measurements not the size given. F you are buying them to just collect, then size doesn't matter at all.

Another thing to remember is to look for good labels. However, that can be a difficult task to do because often the labels are missing or too faded to read. If that turns out to be the case then make sure to look at the construction of the vintage clothing by looking at the quality of the work such as boned bodices, hand sewing, bound buttonholes, handset zippers, covered buttons, piped seams, silk linings, bias bound edges and so on, these are all signs of quality work.

Condition of the piece of clothing is also of great importance. You need to look for textiles that still have a lot of strength left in them as well as integrity and ones that are in good shape and don't appear to have any kind of mending that might need to be done. Make sure the clothing appears clean and smells good and doesn't look heavily worn.

You can start looking for vintage clothing in your own family ask older people in your family if they have any older clothes they might want to give away or even sell to you. It is a great way to connect with your family's history as well. When going outside the family to buy this kind of clothing make sure you go to reputable dealers both online and local shops. You might also consider online auctions when it comes to buying vintage clothes. You can often find some amazing items this way. However, expect to pay a pretty good price to an online seller who has taken the time to find the clothing, clean and repair it.

The cheaper route to go to find some hidden gems when it comes to older clothes would be thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales. Just remember that you will also be spending your time, energy and gas getting to the different places around town and may come away empty handed after all the effort.

No matter where you go to find your vintage clothing always remember they can be an investment. So make sure to take proper care of all the older items you purchase because the value of vintage clothing may continue to go up in value if the trend over the past twenty years is any sign of the popularity of older quality clothing items.